ISTANBUL

China on Friday congratulated newly elected Pope Leo XIV and expressed hope for a “steady” improvement in relations with the Vatican.

Beijing hopes “under the new Pope's leadership, the Vatican will continue dialogue with China in a constructive spirit, deepen communication on international issues of mutual concern, and work together to steadily advance China-Vatican relations, contributing to global peace, stability, development, and prosperity,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in the Chinese capital.

The Vatican announced Tuesday that American Cardinal Robert Prevost had been elected as the new Pope, taking the name Leo XIV.

He is the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church.

Last year, Beijing extended a provisional agreement with the Holy See by four years regarding the appointment of bishops.

The agreement allows both sides to have a role in selecting bishops for China’s Catholic community, which numbers around 12 million in the world’s second most populous country.